LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers were in desperate need of a solid pitching effort from a starter on Sunday against Houston, which they got from Hiroki Kuroda.

What the Dodgers weren't in need of was a bullpen implosion, which is also what they got.

A hitless effort over 6 2/3 innings by Kuroda was quickly forgotten when the bullpen fell apart and allowed six runs in the top of the eighth for a 8-5 loss to Houston at Dodger Stadium. The loss was the fourth straight for Los Angeles and completed a three-game sweep in front of 40,217 on Mother's Day.

"It is tough," catcher Russell Martin said. "A guy goes six innings, doesn't give up any hits, you take him out after one hit and the bullpen gives it up for him. Everybody feels bad. You want to win every game you can, especially when a guy's throwing his heart out out there."

Kuroda, after making his shortest start of the season his last time out (3 1/3 innings) rebounded to allow just one run and one hit in Sunday's outing. Houston's Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, and Carlos Lee, respectively, went a combined 0-for-7 against the right-hander.

The Dodgers starter was able to do what few pitchers have done in the last few weeks, and that was quiet Berkman's bat. The Astros first baseman had notched 18 hits in his last 23 at-bats (.783) coming into Sunday. He went 0-for-2 and reached on a fielder's choice against Kuroda.

"The middle of their lineup is as good as it gets," Martin said. "You've got Miguel, Berkman, and Lee. Those three guys are tough outs no matter who is on the mound."

It was Hunter Pence, the No. 6 hitter, who saved the Astros from being on the wrong side of history, breaking up the no-hit bid with a rip to left field. After the two-out hit by Pence and a walk to Ty Wiggington, Kuroda was replaced by Joe Beimel. Kuroda had a career-high five strikeouts and he walked three.

"It was about the fourth or fifth inning I started thinking about no-hitters," said Kuroda through a translator. "But we only had two runs and I was concerned about my own pitches and I wanted the team to win. When they hit the first hit I was really worried. I just wanted to help the team to win."

Beimel struggled, walking two, including Mark Loretta with the bases loaded to score Pence.

Beimel got out of the inning without further damage, thanks to a tremendous catch by Matt Kemp in center field to take an extra-base hit away from Michael Bourn with the bases loaded that ended the frame.

For as much trouble as the Astros had hitting Kuroda, they had no problems with the Dodgers' bullpen.

Jonathan Broxton came in to start the eighth and promptly gave up five hits and three runs before recording an out. He gave up one more hit and was charged with three more runs in the frame, giving the Astros a 7-5 lead.

"They just hit me all the other way," Broxton said. "It wasn't like they were hitting me hard or anything. They were just pecking away, one batter at a time."

While reliever Geoff Geary picked up the win (1-1) for an inning of scoreless relief, Broxton dropped to 1-1 on the year and it was his first blown save of the season.

"He hasn't pitched in four days, so it's not being overworked," said manager Joe Torre. "We thought we were in a good position. I'd take my chances everyday of the week with him."

The Dodgers made a comeback of their own against reliever Doug Brocail, but it fell short. Chin-lung Hu had a groundout to score Blake DeWitt from third with no outs in the ninth, and Andruw Jones flyout scored Delwyn Young, who had his first career start at second base on Sunday and went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

On the play where Young scored, Jones smacked the ball to right-center field, and center fielder Michael Bourn made an outstanding catch while running toward the wall, with his glove hand outstretched to his side. It turned what would have been an extra-base hit with one out that may have further extended a rally into a second out and a rally killer. Jose Valverde replaced Brocail and Andre Ethier, who had gone 3-for-5 with a double in his start Sunday, but popped out to third base to end the game.

First baseman James Loney hit a two-run home run in the first inning off starter Shawn Chacon to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. But Chacon settled in and allowed just four hits over the next five innings. He struck out three and walked one.